Chest compression device with plunger adjusting patient contact site during compressions

Abstract

A Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (“CPR”) device can include a compression mechanism configured to perform successive CPR compressions on a chest of a patient, the compression mechanism including a piston and a contact member attached to the piston, the contact member configured to make and maintain contact with the chest at a first position and a first orientation. The CPR device can also include a controller communicatively coupled with the compression mechanism, the controller configured to: receive at least one input; determine whether the piston should be adjusted based on the at least one input; and responsive to a determination that the piston should be adjusted, cause the piston to move so that the contact member makes and maintains contact with the chest at a second position and a second orientation.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (“CPR”) device, comprising:
 a compression mechanism configured to perform successive CPR compressions on a chest of a patient, the compression mechanism including a piston and a contact member attached to the piston, the contact member configured to make and maintain contact with the chest at a first position and a first orientation; and 
 a controller communicatively coupled with the compression mechanism, the controller configured to:
 receive at least one input; 
 determine whether the piston should be adjusted based on the at least one input; and 
 responsive to a determination that the piston should be adjusted, cause the piston to move so that the contact member makes and maintains contact with the chest at a second position and a second orientation. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input includes at least one physiological parameter determined by the CPR device. 
     
     
         3 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input is an input provided by a user. 
     
     
         4 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein causing the piston to move includes causing the piston to rotate about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the chest. 
     
     
         5 . The CPR device of  claim 4 , wherein an angle between the first and second orientations is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein causing the piston to move includes causing the contact member to move longitudinally with respect to the chest. 
     
     
         7 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive at least one subsequent input;   determine whether the piston should be further adjusted based on the at least one subsequent input; and   responsive to a determination that the piston should be further adjusted, cause the piston to further move so that the contact member makes and maintains contact with the chest at a third position and a third orientation.   
     
     
         8 . The CPR device of  claim 7 , wherein causing the piston to further move includes causing the piston to rotate about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the chest. 
     
     
         9 . The CPR device of  claim 8 , wherein an angle between the second and third orientations is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The CPR device of  claim 7 , wherein the first and third orientations are substantially the same. 
     
     
         11 . The CPR device of  claim 7 , wherein causing the piston to further move includes causing the contact member to move longitudinally with respect to the chest. 
     
     
         12 . The CPR device of  claim 1 , wherein the contact member is a suction cup configured to secure a mechanical connection between the piston and the chest. 
     
     
         13 . The CPR device of  claim 12 , wherein causing the piston to move includes instructing the user to release the suction cup from the chest. 
     
     
         14 . The CPR device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one physiological parameter is selected from the following group: maximal airway CO2 partial pressure, amplitude of pulse oximeter photoplethysmography waveform, cerebral oximetry measure, arterial blood pressure, and an ultrasound-based measurement of blood flow. 
     
     
         15 . A Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (“CPR”) device, comprising:
 a compression mechanism configured to perform successive CPR compressions on a chest of a patient, the compression mechanism including a piston and a contact member attached to the piston, the contact member configured to make contact with the chest at a first position and a first orientation; and 
 a controller communicatively coupled with the compression mechanism, the controller configured to:
 receive an instruction from a user to move the contact member to a second position and a second orientation; and 
 responsive to the instruction, cause the piston to rotate so that the contact member makes contact with the chest at the second position and the second orientation. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The CPR device of  claim 15 , wherein an angle between the first and second orientations is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The CPR device of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive a subsequent instruction from the user to move the contact member to a third position and a third orientation; and   responsive to the subsequent instruction, cause the piston to rotate so that the contact member makes and maintains contact with the chest at the third position and the third orientation.   
     
     
         18 . The CPR device of  claim 17 , wherein an angle between the second and third orientations is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The CPR device of  claim 15 , wherein the contact member is a suction cup configured to secure a mechanical connection between the piston and the chest. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (“CPR”) device, cause the CPR device to perform a method comprising:
 using a compression mechanism of the CPR device to perform successive CPR compressions on a chest of a patient, the compression mechanism including a piston and a contact member attached to the piston, wherein the contact member is configured to make contact with the chest at a first position and a first orientation; 
 receiving an instruction to move the contact member to a second position and a second orientation; and 
 responsive to receiving the instruction, causing the piston to move so that the contact member makes contact with the chest at the second position and the second orientation.